nic's recent activity
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Comment on What lesser-known sci-fi reads do you recommend? in ~books
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Comment on Any significant changes to Tildes are extremely unlikely in ~tildes.official
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Comment on Is Flowers for Algernon sci-fi? in ~books
nic Link ParentWell now I just lost all respect for the guy. The Next Generation? I thought he was old school cool :)Well now I just lost all respect for the guy. The Next Generation? I thought he was old school cool :)
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Comment on Is Flowers for Algernon sci-fi? in ~books
nic LinkWhere is @Algernon_Asimov when you need him? I've read a lot of sci-fi. Novels. Short stories. Algernon is softer on the science fiction than most, but it still uses fictional science to drive the...Where is @Algernon_Asimov when you need him?
I've read a lot of sci-fi. Novels. Short stories.
Algernon is softer on the science fiction than most, but it still uses fictional science to drive the story/ characters, and the ending makes you think in ways you would not have without the use of fictional science.
Some of the best science fiction stories use this approach. Invisible Man, Frankenstein, The Picture of Dorian Grey, The Fly, The Twilight Zone, most of Asimov's shorter stories tbh...
All the best sci fi always focuses on the human drama, then the twist ending that makes you think. If you haven't, read The Ugly Little Boy by Asimov. It's a very short story, that might be right up your alley.
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Comment on Any significant changes to Tildes are extremely unlikely in ~tildes.official
nic Link ParentSorry if I over reacted to feeling misunderstood.Sorry if I over reacted to feeling misunderstood.
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Comment on Any significant changes to Tildes are extremely unlikely in ~tildes.official
nic Link ParentLook man, he didn’t even need to write any of that. It is known. Just like it’s known that he won’t respond to my request. Charles Rules of Internet Arguments. But he will read it. Might even...Look man, he didn’t even need to write any of that. It is known.
Just like it’s known that he won’t respond to my request. Charles Rules of Internet Arguments.
But he will read it. Might even think about it.
Btw. “Please reconsider” means I am acknowledging he already said no. And I am explaining why. And I am suggesting something new. Some users have elevated moderation privileges to edit titles and tags. My suggestion is simply to elevate them a little more. Not banning or deleting. Just freezing overly heated threads. Pretty sure that has never been discussed.
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Comment on Any significant changes to Tildes are extremely unlikely in ~tildes.official
nic Link@deimos I’ve noticed slower and lower moderation from you. Please reconsider allowing a few trusted individuals greater moderation privileges. Simply allowing them to lock a thread before you can...@deimos I’ve noticed slower and lower moderation from you.
Please reconsider allowing a few trusted individuals greater moderation privileges.
Simply allowing them to lock a thread before you can decide what to do might help.
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Comment on Grand Theft Auto VI - Pre-orders and Edition information in ~games
nic Link ParentWhenever GTA comes out with a new release, I buy a new console, I buy GTA, and I spend the next 3 months gaming. I bought a playstation one year ago, just to play this game. I bought before the...Whenever GTA comes out with a new release, I buy a new console, I buy GTA, and I spend the next 3 months gaming.
I bought a playstation one year ago, just to play this game. I bought before the price hikes.
I've been waiting for this game for over a decade.
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Comment on Weekly US politics news and updates thread - week of June 22 in ~society
nic Link Parenthttps://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2026-06-17/trump-administration-uses-hydrogen-peroxide-tiny-bubbles-against-algae-in-reflecting-poolExperts note that the pool's source water and its new, heat-absorbing dark paint make it highly susceptible to algae, potentially requiring more intensive, long-term maintenance strategies to stay clear.
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Comment on Weekly US politics news and updates thread - week of June 22 in ~society
nic Link ParentHe painted it kiddy pool blue... which both warms the water thereby growing more algae, and makes the the algae more visible.- He painted it kiddy pool blue... which both warms the water thereby growing more algae, and makes the the algae more visible.
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Comment on Weekly US politics news and updates thread - week of June 22 in ~society
nic LinkHow Washington DC's Reflecting Pool became a global talking point Covered by the BBCHow Washington DC's Reflecting Pool became a global talking point
- Covered by the BBC
It's been two weeks since a multimillion-dollar renovation project here at the Reflecting Pool in Washington DC was completed. Blue paint is peeling off the bottom, and President Trump says the pool will probably have to be drained again.
This attraction has had problems with leaks for decades. Trump planned to renovate it last year. As well as fixing the leak, the president said he wanted a blue finish called "American flag blue." He said, "That's the color I want."
In April, he said the pool was starting the final phase of renovation, suggesting it would be finished in one week. Three weeks later, he said he decided to go to a much higher level of repair which would have a longer life, and the goal was now to have it done before the Fourth of July — something he said would last 50 years, maybe 100 years.
Work was complete at the start of June, but shortly after the pool was refilled with water, algae started to grow again and it turned green. There were efforts to clean it, including bleaching and disinfectant chemicals, and then this happened — the paint on the newly painted blue bottom began to peel this week, just two weeks after being refilled.
President Trump says they will probably have to drain it again to repair it. He said, "We have a 200 foot — slit right through — probably a box cutter, a knife, or some kind." He didn't provide any evidence for what he said. He had previously claimed, "This will last for at least 50 years, so you'll never have a leak. It's very strong — you couldn't, if you had a… I don't want to give anybody ideas — if you had a box knife, you can't even cut it."
The Trump administration says the US Park Police are investigating razorblade slashes. A number of people have been arrested for allegedly tampering with the Reflecting Pool.
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Comment on Weekly US politics news and updates thread - week of June 15 in ~society
nic LinkJD Vance 'humiliated' by Iranian negotiators in stunning spectacle: 'Never looked weaker'JD Vance 'humiliated' by Iranian negotiators in stunning spectacle: 'Never looked weaker'
“This was humiliation. No one in modern history has made America wait and beg for negotiations. This was the moment JD Vance should have returned to Washington. The Islamic regime did this on purpose,”
“In diplomacy, the side with leverage doesn't wait in the room,” Taha wrote. “You claim to be leading and winning, yet you arrived first. First mistake.”
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Comment on Weekly US politics news and updates thread - week of June 15 in ~society
nic LinkIs AI ruining our skills? Early results are in — and they’re not goodIs AI ruining our skills? Early results are in — and they’re not good
. The physicians, who had all performed at least 2,000 colonoscopies during their careers, were given access to an AI system that analyses colonoscopy images in real time and flags a type of precancerous intestinal lesion called an adenoma.
During the three-month period before the AI tool was introduced, the specialists found at least one adenoma during 28.4% of colonoscopies. During the three-month period after the tool was introduced, the adenoma detection rate for colonoscopies performed without AI assistance decreased to 22.4%.
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Comment on <deleted topic> in ~life.home_improvement
nic Link ParentAre you using precision technical screw drivers?Are you using precision technical screw drivers?
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Comment on Access to Fable and Mythos 5 cut off after US government order in ~tech
nic Link ParentThat's the thing about disruption. No one see's it coming. Until it is too late.That's the thing about disruption. No one see's it coming. Until it is too late.
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Comment on Access to Fable and Mythos 5 cut off after US government order in ~tech
nic Link ParentSeriously? No. Seriously. Think about that. All tech companies fear disruption. Disruption can be as simple as Salesforce's motto of "no software." It's not like Salesforce had software any better...It doesn’t seem like better software would change things much.
Seriously?
No.
Seriously.
Think about that.
All tech companies fear disruption.
Disruption can be as simple as Salesforce's motto of "no software."
It's not like Salesforce had software any better than Siebel. It just ran on the cloud. How could that change things much?
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Comment on AI is bringing my friend out of retirement in ~comp
nic (edited )Link ParentHoly fucking shit balls! I started using Claude Code. I blame you and @teaearlgraycold. In less than a week, I created an entire site. OK. I made the entire site in 30 minutes. I spent the next...Holy fucking shit balls!
I started using Claude Code.
I blame you and @teaearlgraycold.
In less than a week, I created an entire site.
OK. I made the entire site in 30 minutes. I spent the next week completely fucking with it.
Two years ago when I tried this, I had to fit the entire thing in my head. I created each thing by hand.
Each bit of code. Each shell script. Each HTML template. Each table. The entire relational schema and all the data entered within.
Now I am asking AI to make stuff. And when it doesn't succeed, I simply ask again.
I've worked in product management for most of my professional life.
I punched machine code, byte by byte, into the Amiga.
I wrote entire websites in pure notepad.
I have the ideas, the technical chops.
I have so many fucking ideas.
And I can make all of them.
Are any of them good?
Probably not.
Am I about to have fun?
Probably not. But will that stop me?
Probably not. There is a book I recently read.
Letters to a young poet. The young poet writes to an older poet.
He asks for life advice. The advice is to never write poetry. Unless he must.
The rest of the book is complete crap. Because the younger poet never listened.
We don't make because we want to.
We make because we must.
Because we never listen.
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Comment on What about having an LLM teach you to code? in ~comp
nic Link ParentI think WALL-E was more prophetic tbh, it was made just before the iPhone.I think WALL-E was more prophetic tbh, it was made just before the iPhone.
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Comment on Claude Fable 5 and Claude Mythos 5 in ~tech
nic Link Parent:) Is this your first time asking AI to harden your code?:)
Is this your first time asking AI to harden your code?
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Comment on Claude Fable 5 and Claude Mythos 5 in ~tech
nic Link ParentDid you create a fancy harness to scan for vulnerabilities?Did you create a fancy harness to scan for vulnerabilities?
I like short stories by Philip K Dick, John Scalzi, Robert Sheckley, Isaac Asimov etc...